PHULBANI/BHUBANESWAR: Test identification (TI) parade of the accused could not be held as the nun, the alleged rape victim, did not turn up on Monday and sought a month’s time from the court. The court rejected her plea and directed her to appear on November 19.
The hype surrounding her appearance ended as her lawyer Manas Singh filed a time petition before Baliguda SDJM Dola Govinda Barik. She had sought a month’s time on health grounds.
Her counsel also furnished medical certificate to this effect. It said the victim was undergoing treatment for trauma in Delhi.
A Malaviya Nagar address was submitted before the court for any kind of correspondence.
The earlier request for holding the TI parade outside Orissa — in Delhi, to be precise — was in the petition but didn’t find mention among the main prayers. The SDJM’s court order too did not elaborate on it.
Meanwhile, Archbishop of Bhuba-neswar- Cuttack, Raphael Cheenath, continued to press for holding TI parade in Delhi during his meeting with Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
In a departure from the past when the nun had gone on record saying she had no faith in Orissa Police and sought a CBI inquiry, the Archbishop said she would cooperate with the investigation process.
With so much hype surrounding the incident, the Crime Branch was fully ready to hold the TI parade. About 100 persons were readied to be paraded. In fact, a temporary helipad too was kept ready at Baliguda anticipating the nun’s arrival by air on security grounds. Heavy police arrangement was made.
Christians asked not to support Maoists
Maintaining that Christians have no links with Maoists, Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Archbishop Rapheal Cheenath on Monday asked the community members to refrain from supporting the red rebels who indulge in violence, PTI adds.
“I appeal to all sections of Christians across the country not to support any criminal activities,” Cheenath told reporters while replying to a question on alleged Christian support to the Maoists suspected to have eliminated VHP leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati on August 23.
The aftermath of Saraswati’s killing witnessed large scale violence in Kandhamal and elsewhere in the state leading to killing of at least 40 people, besides burning of hundreds of houses and scores of churches across Orissa.
Rejecting allegation of Christian involvement in the violence, Cheenath said, “Maoists have been there in Kandhamal for three decades”.
Earlier, Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda had told a media team that Christians constitute majority of their cadre in Orissa.